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Wildfire Threatens Parts of Washington

Winds and dry conditions help fuel a wildfire that's forced school closures and burned dozens of homes in Washington.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

ABOUT 100 HOMES IN ITS PATH. NBC'S JACOB RASCON IS IN PATEROS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE.
>> Reporter: THIS IS A GHOST TOWN TORN BY THE FIERCEST WILDFIRE OFFICIALS HAVE EVER SEEN. DOWN THE ROAD SEVERAL TEACHERS, A LOCAL PASTOR AND OTHERS LOST HOMES AS WELL AS THE FIRE ITSELF IS ONLY GROWING. FUELED BY WHIPPING WINDS, SOARING TEMPERATURES AND BONE DRY CONDITIONS, THE SO-CALLED CARLTON COMPLEX FIRE STARTED WITH LIGHTNING AND OVERNIGHT EXPLODED FROM 28 SQUARE MILES TO NEARLY 300 SQUARE MILES. 1,000 HOUSEHOLDS WERE ORDERED TO EVACUATE INCLUDING THE ENTIRE TOWN OF PATEROS. WE KNOW AT LEAST 100 HOMES BURNED, MAJOR HIGHWAYS INTO THE AREA ARE STILL SHUT DOWN, THOUSANDS ARE WITHOUT POWER AND WATER. AND, BRIAN, THIS IS JUST ONE OF DOZENS OF FIRES BURNING IN THE WEST RIGHT NOW.
>> JACOB RASCON IN THE NORTHERN PART OF WASHINGTON STATE. WITH THAT WE WANT TO WELCOME JACOB TO OUR TEAM.
>>> THE FOLKS AT THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ARE THE ONES WHO MONITOR THE SHAKING OF THE